Back from our first, ever, 3 day retreat and it looks like everyone loves the 3 day idea!

Got a lot done on my Italy scrapbook, hmmm, maybe I'll have to make that plural.....scrapbooks.  

Rome is 95% done!

An update on "the dessert"! Before making a recipe, I check all the reviews because sometimes recipes need to be tweaked. I did  tweak this one and here it is:

Freezer Caramel Drizzle Pie

Crust:

2 cups graham crumbs 

1/3 cup stick butter, melted

1/3 cup sugar

Place in a spring form pan and bake at 350, for 10 minutes. Take out and cool.

Filling and Topping Ingredients:

1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk

1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened

1 (16 oz.) container Cool Whip, thawed

1 (12 oz.) jar caramel ice cream topping

3 Tablespoons butter

1 (7 oz.) package shredded coconut

1 cup chopped pecans

Directions:

1. Place butter in a medium skillet and melt over medium heat.  Add coconut and pecans, stirring to coat.  Saute until coconut and pecans are lightly toasted, about 5 minutes.  Set aside.

2.  In a large mixing bowl, whip together, condensed milk and cream cheese until fluffy.  Fold in whipped topping. 

 Spoon 1/2 of cream cheese mixture onto crust.  

Drizzle with caramel topping.  

Repeat layers with remaining cream cheese mixture and caramel. 

Top with coconut and pecan mixture.  

Freeze overnight, take out and thaw 1/2 hour before serving.

Please note:  I halved the coconut/pecan topping and added to first cream cheese mixture layer. So

Cream cheese mixture

Caramel

Coconut/pecan 

Cream cheese mixture

Caramel 

Coconut pecan

I think I might try it the original way next time, so that the topping is very full!

Enjoy!!!

I'll be spending part of the day today getting ready for my Winter Retreat which will start on Thursday afternoon.

We've decided to do an extra day!  Seems like we just get going and poof - it's Sunday, so we put it to a vote and everyone went for it!  Anita had been wanting to do it for years and I just didn't think everyone would be receptive.

We'll be at the Emigrant Vacation Home, which we loved!  Going to try a different layout with the tables this time.  

If I'm ambitious, I'll be making my sugar cookies for this retreat (making dough today).  Need to check with Anita on our entree.......

Happy Sunday everyone!

A photo of Pete working on the chair last weekend.........

Christmas window

The window is done!  Still not sure about it being white.........Besides photos of my Christmas' when I was young, I incorporated a photo of Rocky and Pete.  This has been a project I've been wanting to do for a LONG time.  
Hmmm, what about black?

Getting ready for the retreat

Coconut Caramel Drizzle Pie

My Retreat is fast approaching, next Thursday, sorry, but I do like to prepare for some things.  Anita and I have been planning our menu so I thought I would start looking for a dessert.  I thought I would go on Pinterest and look at some of those desserts I've "pinned".  I re-pinned this one from bud, Audrey.  So, I know for sure Audrey and I will be liking it!  I read the reviews (recipe comes from allrecipes.com) and I'm going to tweak it a little bit.  I'll let you know how it turns out!

Looks yummy, doesn't it?

Great weekend, got so much accomplished!   

But first ....Pete and I went to the movies on Friday evening (finally!, I'd been wanting to go for a long while) and saw "War Horse!"  What a beautiful, fabulous, movie.  Bring tissues, a great story of a horse's life from birth.   

When I first saw the incredible puppetry of the play, and heard about the movie, I knew I had to see it.  In case you've never seen any images from the play, here is one.

On Saturday, I scrapped all day and part of the night at the Library with the gals!  Yeh, finally.  I was ready!  I so need to catch up!  Besides scrapbooking, of course, there was lots of eating and chatting!

Sunday, I woke up, pieced the backing for Sofia's quilt, pressed backing and quilt top, trimmed threads and took mom with me to Martha's (the quilter).  Took mom so she could see Martha's incredible studio and I must say mom was very impressed!  After, we hit all the craft stores since I was in the need to stock up on brown card stock; all shades.  Joann's was the big winner; 6 pieces for .98cents!  

On Monday, I finished putting touches to all the pages I did on Saturday AND.......headed into the garage with Pete to finish the CHAIR!!!!!  Finally finished the other chair in my great room.  I cut the fabric later last week, so I was all ready to put it together this weekend.  

The only problem is that I did not buy enough fabric (ions ago) to do piping.  So, I will buy store-bought trim to finish off the edges.  Piece of cake compared to all the other work put in to get the chairs where they are today!

Colored my hair, exercise, did my cuticles and here I am vegging by the TV watching "Alcatraz".

Back to the old grind tomorrow...........

Good night all!

Sewing again

I have 2 great nieces that I have never made quilts for, and the guilt sure is big right now!

I did buy fabric in the past year (maybe some, the year before) so, I really needed to get started!

January 1st, I told everyone (at home) I was sewing and not doing much of anything else.  Not true, but for the most part I did spend two afternoons sewing.

I am finally sewing a quilt for Trevor and Daria's oldest, Sofia.  My go-to "gift" pattern is "Yellow Brick Road" by Atchinson Designs.  It's basically a "fat quarter quilt"; quick and easy. 

My mom asked why I always use the same pattern?  It never looks the same, because of the fabrics, it's quick and it's easy.  I've even made one with Western/Cowboy fabrics for SIL, Laurie.

This past weekend I finished putting it together and now it's ready to go to Martha to get quilted. 

 Definitely think purple thread for this one!

Sofia's sister (Daniella) will have to wait a little bit because I've decided I'm making a quilt for myself, for my bed!  Crazy, right?  I decided I'm going to use my "stash" of neutrals to make myself a "yellow brick road"!  48 fat quarters to make a King size quilt, whew, this will be the first huge quilt I've ever made.  

I've been getting all the fabric ready! 

Since I've been getting out of work at 3pm, I've been a little more productive; Pete continues to make dinner.  

This week I'm planning on cutting fabric!

New Year Resolutions

I am not a resolutions type of person, so generally I don't make a list.

  I exercise all year round so I don't have to make that resolution that most people seem to make.  

Generally, the one thing I do right off the bat is re-organize.  With putting away Christmas, I just can't help getting rid of stuff.  

I am on a roll as far as making room for things and if there is no room...... something is going.  

(I wish I could convince Pete to do some of this, too.) 

Here's what I've been up to:

I took mom to Macy's twice in the last 3 weeks and I hit some fabulous sales, I'm talking 50 - 80%.  So naturally I had to clean out my closet to make room. 

 I heard on a show once, if you bring in something new, something old has to go.  

Oh, I left the bag for Pete to fill, but he never bothered. No worry, I got rid of a couple of things he'll never miss because he hasn't worn them since we moved from Henderson, and who knows before that!

 Our freezer.....Pete does 99% of the shopping and our freezer is currently stuffed!  I took a little inventory and have challenged Pete to start using what's in the freezer.  He is not allowed to buy anything until we've eaten a lot of what is currently in there now!  The guy can't pass a good sale!  With Rocky not around it seems like our food is lasting a lot longer.  

Scrapbooking (I didn't plan on doing this today)..... I reorganized my scrapbooking tote; still trying to find the perfect tote.  I've decided to go back to my old (honking, huge) tote, in an effort to make room in the hall closet where my totes live.  I'm retiring the crate I've been using, poor thing is about to collapse from all the weight.  

Miscellaneous.......I cleaned out all the games and puzzles that we don't use or have never used.... 

Needless to say, these last 2 couple of weekends I've accomplished a lot!

This is pretty much it, except with a couple of tweaks.........

I really thought about putting in this tree, but after a while..it was out.

Finally getting to enjoy getting home around 3:20pm!  I actually started working on this project that I've been wanting to make for a good 3 years or so!  The first window I bought Pete broke in the garage.  I had to buy another and now I'm finally getting the project done.  Here are a couple of photos of my project.  Not done yet, so look for more future photos.

Happy New Year!!!!  

2012 - Wow

The first breakfast of the year! 

I got to try our new George Foreman given to us by dear SIL and BIL, Laurie and Tim.  

We got the one with the different plates and I'd been wanting a new waffle maker for many years.

It made some really big ones, and everyone seemed to be happy with them.  

We also go to finish the great cranberry relish I made for Christmas dinner.  Definitely a "keeper" recipe.

Last night we stayed home and watched a couple of movies and didn't get to bed until after 1am!

I highly recommend "Bridesmaids", "Larry Crowne".  

I want to wish everyone a very healthy and happy new year!!!!